Anything for You
by broodofvipers
Summary: SEQUEL to "Drawn to You." Caspian and Anna rule in a prosperous and peaceful Narnia. But everything is not what it seems. Rated M for legit reasons.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Ok. So that didn't take long :D This is the sequel to "Drawn to You." You definitely should read that first before delving into this story or else you will be pretty lost. Anyway, I've had more time than I thought I would, but I probably won't update as fast as I did last time…at least that's what I'm telling you so you can't get mad if that turns out to be true.

I don't own Narnia or the characters other than the OC's. Alright….here we go...

CHAPTER 1

Six months. That's how long we have been governing our country. In some ways, it has been exactly like I expected and also very different and surprising. As I expected, it is fairly routine. We meet with the council daily, and we have been pleased with the men who were elected and are now in office. We also interact with the people and assist in settling disputes and other various mild issues. Other than that, we build relationships and try to keep the peace in Narnia as well as within the walls of Cair Paravel. The hardest part for me is not being able to help everyone and keep them happy; however, it has been a lot better when I realized that we will never be able to please everyone. We rule with justice and fairness and we respect our laws. We can't do more than that.

But most important, by six months in, I realized that we can do this. Not that I had any doubt of our abilities, but rather, I had so many fears in becoming queen. I feared danger and war, politics and the time requirements for the position. But now, I have a healthy fear. A realistic fear—just enough to keep me focused on what is important. There are real challenges and dangers, but some of them we can't even control. So our time is spent on what we can control.

Since being crowned, we haven't even left the castle once for longer than a day. Caspian found a wonderful, trustworthy man to perform the duties of ambassador, so he has been taking all the trips to visit our allies throughout the land. I am also thankful that everyone we are close to, like Molly, Dr. Cornelius, and Glenstorm, all decided to make the move with us. Their families came too, of course.

What I am most thankful for though, more than anything else, is for Caspian. In some ways, our life reminds me of what it was like when we were kids. We used to spend every day together, learning and growing together. Now we do the same but have greater responsibilities. I had been terrified of losing so much personal time with him, but it has turned out to be the opposite. Since I'm queen, I stay with him all day and weigh in my opinions on matters. Like any married couple, we have had a few arguments here and there, but usually we will spend a few hours apart and by that time, we're desperate to reconcile. That's what has always worked for us, even when we were kids, so it's really no different now. And of course physically, we have the same level of desire for each other that we've always had once we realized how we truly feel about each other. Compared to others, there's no competition.

I'm just walking in the hallway to our room to find him when I hear his voice behind me.

"Anna! Wait up!"

I smile and turn to face him as he jogs up to me. My heart still flutters when I see him. He doesn't look too different as king, although he's grown out some facial hair. I didn't like it at first, mainly because he looks a little different. And it's scratchy, so he tries to keep it on the shorter side. But I've slowly come to appreciate it because he looks even more masculine. Not that he needs help with that, but I do like the way it shapes his face. He still has his entrancing dark brown eyes and long hair. And perfect lips, which I thoroughly enjoy kissing many times every day.

He finally reaches me and stands in front of me. "Hey there," he says cheekily in a low voice. I giggle because I love his personality more than I love any of his physical attributes. He cradles my face between his hands then he presses his perfectly soft, kissable lips against mine. We kiss a long time, since I hadn't seen him this morning. He had to get up before sunrise to assist Glenstorm with something important out in the woods. I don't even realize that we've moved until I feel my back press up against the wall. But then I push back and give him one last long kiss.

"We're still in the hallway," I say matter-of-factly.

He scrunches his face up. "Ugh. I know. But I missed you. And it was so boring this morning. We just had to go over some safety issues out there," he says, then wraps his arm around my waist. "All I could think about was being with you…" he gently tilts my head to the side and kisses my neck. "…alone…" There's another kiss even lower on my neck. "…in bed." He then sucks on my skin in that same spot.

I close my eyes and concentrate on the feeling of my skin between his lips and the ministrations of his soft but textured tongue. He even smells amazing. "Hmmm. Well, if I'm too much of a distraction for you, maybe I should go…" I say teasingly.

His grip on me tightens and he backs me against the wall again. He stops what he is doing to my neck and looks down the hallway. The guards patrol up here, but not as often as they used to. We're completely alone. He looks back at me, directly in my eyes. The next thing I know, he's pressed up against me and he pulls the bottom of my dress up to my thighs. Before I even realize what's happening, he pulls my right leg up around his waist and he pushes my underwear to the side and sinks a few fingers into my pussy. He starts slowly, moving them in and out of me, but it feels best when he curls his fingers towards him. Then his thumb starts rubbing against my clit. I close my eyes again and rest my head against the wall. He starts kissing and sucking on my neck again, so it doesn't take me long to get close to an orgasm.

"Don't stop. That feels so good."

He kisses me then pulls my bottom lip into his mouth. "Cum for me."

"Oh Caspian…" I say, and then my orgasm overtakes me. My muscles contract around his fingers as the indescribably amazing and concentrated feeling of my climax slowly subsides.

He looks rather smug as he wiggles his fingers around inside me one last time before pulling them out. I grab his wrist and bring his hand up, then lick his fingers clean. He's not the only one that can play dirty. He's so distracted as I suck on his fingers that he lets go of my leg. I drop his hand and walk the rest of the way through the hallway into our room. We should have been in here the whole time, but I have to admit there is a certain exhilaration of being out in the hallway.

I sit on the chaise lounge and he comes and curls up next to me. I know that he's tired, since he got up so early, so we take a nap for about an hour. When he wakes up again, he has to immediately meet with some of the council members about his time with Glenstorm this morning. Thankfully I don't have to attend with him. I'm alone in the room reading a book when Molly stops by since I told her to come by for a visit. We're closer now more than we ever were before. During our first week in Cair Paravel, I pulled her aside and asked if she would be Caspian and I's personal servant, and she accepted. Really she just spends a lot of time with me, but she does assist the other servants with projects sometimes. Now that she's in the room, we walk out to the balcony to take in the warm sunshine. She closes her eyes and tilts her head up towards the sun.

"Mmmmm. It's beautiful today. I needed a little sun."

"So you're just using me, then?" I say.

"Hey! You're the one who summoned me, remember?"

"Ah, yes. So I did. I don't need anything. It's just been a few days since I really talked to you."

"Sorry, Queenie. I've been pretty busy." It never takes her long to create new colorful nicknames. Lucky me.

"You've seemed a little distracted lately. Everything ok?"

"I'm fine." She answers just a little too quickly. I glare at her, disbelief plastered all over my face, which makes her look guilty. "Alright, fine. I guess there is something."

She's quiet for a few moments. "Are you going to tell me, or what?" I finally ask.

She looks over at me. "Yes, I'm just not sure where to begin."

"Well, what's it about?" I ask.

"Harman," she says. Harman is the man she started courting right around the time of our wedding. I'm surprised he's the reason for her to be a little off, though. They have always seemed to be a great couple and she's been very happy with him. Well, until now apparently.

"What about him?"

"Well, there isn't just one thing. It's not a big thing either. I don't know. I'm not making any sense, am I?"

I look over at her and I chuckle. "Not really."

"Tell me some of the things that have been happening. Maybe that'll help."

"He's seemed a little distant lately, for one thing. We're together almost every day, but he doesn't seem to be interested in talking. Like last night. I was telling him a story about Ty, and he didn't say a word. He barely even looked at me."

"Okay. What else?"

"Last week, he was supposed to be at work. I actually had to go down to the blacksmith for my job because I had to bring down a few of the swords to be sharpened. When I got there, he wasn't there, which is odd. So I left to come back to the castle, and I go the back way down some of the side streets. As I'm walking, I just happened to look down one of the other streets and I see him, but he was talking to some strange looking guy in a cloak. The man handed him something, but I couldn't see what. So then they both look around, like they're scared that they're being watched. And of course I'm still standing there, so they see me right away. Anyway, Harman starts acting strange and nervous and quickly says goodbye to the other guy he was talking to."

"That is strange. Did he say who the man was?"

"No. I asked him, and he said it was a private matter. But then he told me to go back to the castle since he had more to take care of. And he's been so reserved ever since that day. I don't know. I just have the feeling that something is off, you know what I mean?"

"Yah. And that is pretty strange. What do you think it could be?"

"I have no clue. But I told him this morning before I came to work that I wanted to talk to him tonight."

"That's a good idea. He should at least tell you why he's acting the way that he is."

"I hope he does. He's been so amazing so far."

"Do you love him?"

Even though she's bothered with his most recent behavior, her face lights up. "Yes, I do. We said it to each other about a month ago, actually. He even said it first. So I thought things were getting more serious, but now I don't know." She pauses for a moment. "How long was it for you and Caspian? To say I love you, I mean."

My face perks right up too. "Well, with us it was different, since we have always said 'I love you' to each other. But after we were finally together, I knew that we were in love. I just needed some time after breaking up with Stephen. And then a while after that, we went on a day trip away from the castle and we had our first kiss. Then we both admitted that we were in love." I smile just thinking about our first kiss. It seems so long ago. At least a year ago by now.

"Anna, that is the sweetest story!"

I can't help but blush a little. "It worked out with us. Maybe it will work out for you and Harman."

She smiles. "I hope so. Although I also wanted to tell you…"

She stops talking when she hears Caspian come in the room. He always comes in at the wrong times. "Do I hear Molly Mayhem?" He asks.

"Yes, my KING." She says loudly.

He comes and joins us on the balcony. "So, you're still upset that you can't call me Princey, huh?"

She rolls her eyes. "I'm still coming up with a better one. Don't you worry."

"Oh, I won't."

She looks back over at me. "Well, I better get going. I promised I would have dinner with Harman. Do you need anything before I go?"

"No, we're fine. And just talk to him about everything. I'm sure it will be fine."

She hugs us both then leaves.

Caspian wastes no time pulling me into his tight embrace. I settle comfortably into the arms of my husband. He kisses the top of my head.

"How is Molly?"

"She's okay. She thinks she is having problems with Harman. But do you want to know what I think?"

"Always."

I smile and kiss his neck. "I think he's getting ready to propose to her."

"Really?"

"Mmmhhmmm. He's been acting a little strange lately and she saw him getting a small package from someone in an alley. I think he was getting the ring! She said he started to act nervous when he realized she had seen him. I don't know for sure, but that's what it sounded like to me."

"Interesting. Well, I hope that's it. He seems good for her."

"Me too. I've always liked him."

"Did I act strange when I proposed?" Of course he gets stuck on that detail of the story.

I laugh. "Not really. You were just very excited and energetic that day."

"Well, of course. I knew you couldn't say no to this," he says, gesturing all over his body.

I slap him hard on the butt then rest my arms on his shoulders. "Well, I should have had second thoughts because you're so much trouble."

"Oh really? Well surely there are some benefits to our marriage, my lady." He says, picking me up. I wrap my legs around his waist.

"Hmmm. I seem to have forgotten them. Perhaps you can remind me, my dear king," I say, then press a few delicate kisses against his lips.

"In that case, there are many things I can show you…" he says, walking me inside.

* * *

The next day, Caspian and I meet with Dr. Cornelius in his office to review some policies. His new office in Cair is laughably familiar to his old one in the Telmarine castle, since he brought everything with him and arranged it in almost the exact same way. He told me that's how he finds what he needs, so at least it makes sense. But it is still funny because of how it is almost exactly like the old office. I did convince him to let Molly come in and help decorate a bit. And I insisted on a more comfortable seating arrangement, for his benefit as well as ours. No more uncomfortable chairs and benches.

Molly usually checks in on us in the morning to see if we need anything. She knew that we would be in here this morning, so it's unusual when she doesn't show up. I don't think anything of it, though. She's still been busy helping with the different departments of our wonderful servants, so it wouldn't be the first time she got pulled away for a different task. I shrug it off and spend the next few hours of the morning pouring over documents and having lighthearted discussions with the Professor and Caspian.

When it gets to be lunch, we wander to the kitchens. Ty is busy as always, rushing around and preparing food at various stages of completion.

"Good morning Ty!" I say.

"Well, good morning to you all. Go have a seat. I'll get your food right out to ya."

"Thanks. Actually I had a quick question, too. Have you seen Molly this morning?"

"Oh, no. I heard some of my girls say that she didn't come to work today."

I look at Caspian, concerned. He looks a little worried too, but he's trying to hide it. Unsuccessfully, I might add. "That's not like her. We need to go to her house, see what's happening," I say to him. I'm not sure why, but I have the feeling that I should have checked on her earlier. Something doesn't feel right. Normally if she was sick, she would send word somehow by coming in herself or telling someone on her behalf. She didn't do any of those things this time.

"I agree. I'll get a few guards, and then we can go," says Caspian. I hate that we assume that we need guards, but if there is a chance of any type of hostility, we need to be protected.

Her house isn't far, so it doesn't take us long to get there. I knock on the door, but there's no answer. I knock again and call her name. Same result. I look over at Caspian, who looks like he's thinking about our next options.

"Before we do anything else, let me go to her family's house. Maybe they know where she is. Or maybe she's with them," I suggest.

We leave a guard at Molly's and head over to there. They don't know where she is either. All they know is that she spent time with Harman last night. We tell them to stay in the house, but her mom refuses to stay, so she comes with us. I knock on Molly's door one more time, but there's still no answer. So that's it. The guards kick in the door, and it flies back with a loud crash. They go in first, and then I go in with Caspian and Molly's mom.

I was right to feel uneasy. We were right to kick in the door. The house is in chaos and there has clearly been a struggle here. Molly is gone. She has been taken.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hooray for Chapter 2! And I don't own Narnia or the characters other than the OC's. Alright….here we go…

CHAPTER 2

We continue to search around the house for any clues, no matter how insignificant. There are no spots of blood, so for now, I'm hoping that's a good thing and means that she's not injured. I try to concentrate, but I feel shaky and weak. And questions flood my head. Where is she? Is she hurt? What happened? Who is she with? Tears flood my eyes as I look around, and I say a silent prayer to Aslan that she's alright. I see Caspian holding something in his hands. I walk over to get a better look, although my eyes are cloudy from the tears that I have to constantly blink away. He's holding a fabric flag. It's not one that I remember seeing or would recognize off-hand. The background color is a dark forest green. There are two blood red daggers crossing over a strange looking black castle. It looks sinister.

"What flag is that?" I ask in an unsteady voice.

"I don't know. I don't recognize it. We must get it to the Professor right away. It was on the table with a knife stuck into it. I think whoever did this left it as a message."

"I think we should stop by Harman's house too," I recommend. She was supposed to go see him last night. It might not be fair, but I am instantly suspicious of him.

Caspian hands the flag to one of the soldiers and sends him straight to the Professor. Maybe he'll have some answers for us by the time we get back. Then we go to Harman's place. We knock there too, and he doesn't answer. Thankfully, his window was left open, so we can see inside. I peer into the living room and see a flag just like the one in Molly's house draped over the back of a chair. "Break down the door," I tell the guards. They kick it in just like they did to Molly's. The house is in slight disarray, and it becomes immediately clear that he was packing for a trip. Several travel bags are spread on one of his couches. And there are several canteens and other food provisions left on the counter. He must have had more than he needed. My heart sinks when I see fragments of rope left on the counter. He must have bound her hands. I shudder at the thought.

More tears spill over my cheeks as I realize the full weight of what happened, and Caspian comes over to grab my hand. I hear him tell the guards to look for any more evidence. He wipes the tears off my cheeks with his free hand. "Let's go see the Professor. He might have something for us already," he says, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.

I just nod and quickly walk with him back to the castle, and we go straight to the Professor's study. He's hunched over his desk, reading a huge book that's splayed on the surface.

"Please tell us you have some answers," says Caspian.

"Ah, my King. In fact, I do. Please take a seat. Both of you."

I'm frazzled and antsy, but it feels good to sit. My body feels strangely void of energy. I try to focus on the Professor's words when he sits and explains what he knows.

"I have seen this flag before, but it has been a long time. I couldn't remember its origin, so I found some references to it in some of my literature. This flag represents Mahjay. It is a city far up in the 'wild lands of the north.' We are somewhat lacking in information about their people in more recent years, but I did find a few things in my research about more recent dealings with them. And there was one other incident that I'm aware of that I will share with you in a moment. But anyway, the city is built into the side of a steep mountain. It has a thick wall, so it's well protected. And the Mahjans-the name of the people-are quite savage in nature."

"What do you mean savage?" Asks Caspian.

"More than anything, they are uncivilized and somewhat wild. They are ruled by anger and passion instead of reason. They are impulsive and act without thinking about the repercussions. For all these reasons, they can be dangerous and unpredictable. We must be careful when dealing with them."

These people sound disconcerting, but there is still one component of all of this that I need to know about. "But how is Harman connected to all this? And why take Molly?" I ask.

The professor breathes in and lets out a loud sigh. "Anna, I thought that I would tell you this one day, but under different circumstances. Now, I don't have a choice. This will be difficult to hear, but I must tell you the truth. When I told you just now about a recent incident, I was speaking about a terrible event between the Telmarines and Mahjans. "

I have no idea what to think. I look over at Caspian, who looks just as perplexed and confused as I do. I stay silent so Dr. Cornelius will continue.

"I told you that your father died while he was on an expedition for Miraz. That was only partially true. He was actually killed by the Mahjans."

I'm shocked, but more about the lie rather than the circumstances. "Why haven't you told me that before?"

"I made that decision a while ago. I didn't want you or anyone else to seek revenge for his death. I didn't want to risk war with them. Miraz was angry, but they're so far away and he was too busy dealing with problems he had created here."

I think about what he just said. I'm almost certain that 'anyone else' means Caspian. The Professor knows the bond that we have, so there would be no telling what either of us would have done had we found this out earlier. Of course, we were only very young children when he was killed, but we may have grown up harboring feelings of retribution. Although even for revenge, I doubt either of us would have wanted to travel all the way up there, especially to risk war. Besides, no amount of fighting will bring my father back. And now, with Molly kidnapped, we don't have a choice. We will have to face them to get her back.

I realize I have one more question about my father. "Why did they kill him?" I ask quietly.

"Your father and his men were closer to the city than they realized. The Mahjans probably saw smoke from his fire, so they went to investigate. Then they killed him. Only one of his bodyguards escaped the ordeal, so he came back and told us what happened. When we heard the news, Miraz, and myself for that matter, suspected that the murder of your father wasn't made as a statement against Telmar. Instead, it continues to show their erratic and bloodthirsty nature."

"I'm so sorry," I hear Caspian say, and he grabs my hand. I suddenly realize that now we have another thing in common. But it's a sad truth. Both of our fathers were murdered.

I squeeze his hand. "It's ok. We can't change the past."

"So how do you think Harman is involved?" Caspian asks the Professor.

"Well, there are still several possibilities, I suppose. But there's really only one that makes sense. He's Telmarine, but he just arrived around the time of your marriage, correct?"

"Yes, that's right," I confirm.

"I think he had a plan all along. I suspect that he might have been planning an assassination on behalf of the Mahjans, and his target was most likely you, Caspian. Perhaps you as well, Anna. He must have been recruited by the Mahjans, since he is Telmarine. They knew he would draw less suspicion to move here to Cair Paravel around the time you began your reign. He figured out that you are both close to Molly, so he started a relationship with her in order to gain access to the castle. But with our security what it is here, he must have decided it was too risky to attempt an assassination here. So he took Molly, in hopes that you will follow her."

It's almost too much information for me to bear. I feel sick. But I also feel rage.

"We need to go. We need to go right now. We've wasted enough time already," I say.

Caspian cups my cheek with his hand and looks at me empathetically. "We'll leave soon, my love. We have a little time. If he wanted to harm her, he would have done so already." I think for a moment, and realize that he's probably right. Why would he go to the trouble of capturing her if he just wanted to kill her? And if the Professor's theory is right, then they'll need her alive because they know we will come to rescue her.

"You're right. But I wasted so much time this morning. She didn't show up for work. I should have realized it sooner."

"My love, you couldn't have known."

"I know, but Molly told me her suspicions yesterday and I thought he was going to propose. I even told her to go talk to him," I'm practically in hysterics at this point. I can't even believe all of this is real.

He pulls me into a hug from our spots on the couch. "Ssshhh, my love. We couldn't have known his true intentions. All of us were fooled." He turns his attention to the Professor, but he keeps holding me tightly in his arms. "Professor, what route must be taken to get there?"

"That's the other difficult part. There is a map, but a lot of the land up around there is uncharted. You would begin by following the route we take to the Telmarine castle. However, before reaching it, you break northwest and go through the mountains towards lantern waste. Then you continue to journey north. After that, you'll have to follow the map. It looks like there will be treacherous, unpredictable lands. There are mountains towards the beginning and the end of the journey, but it does look like there are some small towns to stop in to resupply. But it is many miles, and will take a few months to get there."

"Months?" I ask a little too loudly. We've never travelled anywhere that required that long of a journey.

The Professor looks sympathetic. "I wish it wasn't so, my Queen. But it's five day's journey just to get to the Telmarine castle. And Mahjay is much, much further."

Caspian releases me from his hold, then goes to get a map of Narnia. He brings it over and sets it on the coffee table in the middle of the seating area. We begin to look it over. Even on the map, Mahjay seems impossibly far.

"Alright. I will take a few hundred men, and we will take care of this," says Caspian confidently.

The Professor is immediately hesitant. "No, my King. It is most likely a trap. They are a brutal, savage people who favor spilling blood over democracy. There are other capable leaders that can go and accomplish the exact same thing."

"I'm aware of the danger. But it's Molly and I need to go. I will not stay behind while others go in my place," he says with resolve.

"I'm going too," I say.

They both look at me, horrified. The Professor is about to say something, but Caspian speaks first. "Absolutely not. I won't let you. It'll be dangerous enough for me, and I don't want you to face that too. I need you to stay. I promise: I will do what I can to bring her back. You don't need to go. Besides, if something happens to me…"

"Don't you even say that. Don't even think it. I can't do this without you. And I'd rather face danger with you than stay here for months, waiting to hear what happened."

"My King and Queen, you both just got crowned. You cannot go. The people need both of you as leaders. Please. You have capable soldiers. Have faith in them."

"I'm sorry that you disagree, but this is the last time I'm going to say it: I'm going. I know that we have capable soldiers, but I need to go. If there is any chance of a democratic solution, then I need to try. And if there isn't, then I will show them why they should regret what they did," he says firmly. "And Anna, you're staying," he adds.

"No, I'm not! I'm coming with you! I have the same right to go as you do." I yell.

He raises his voice to match mine. "I'm not letting you! It's too dangerous!"

"I don't care and you're not going to stop me!" I say and then run out of the room. I know it's childish, but I want to be alone. I hear Caspian yell after me, but I don't stop. I run all the way to our room and sit outside on our balcony. The beauty of the day is a betrayal of the harsh reality of our situation. I look over at the spot where I just had a conversation with Molly yesterday. If only I knew Harman's plot. She would still be here, safe with us. Besides Caspian, she is my closest friend and I couldn't bear to lose her like I lost my father. And now, without Caspian's consent, I'm not sure what to do. I'm not used to answering to someone else. And our marriage isn't usually like that, even though he is King and can give orders. We normally talk through our issues, and he's never really needed to order me to do anything. I don't want to go against his wishes if he does order me to stay, but I know in my heart that I cannot remain. I would lose my mind having two of the people I love most in harm's way while I stayed behind. My mind continues to spin for another few hours until Caspian finally comes to our room. I'm sure he's been busy preparing what he needs to for the journey and meeting with the council. Besides that, we both know that we needed time away from each other to cool off and think. Especially me.

He walks slowly to the balcony and sits down on the loveseat next to mine. I can't look at him for the longest time. I keep my gaze steady on the crashing waves below. When I do finally look over at him, he's looking out over the scenery below too. He looks wearied and sad, and I know that I've caused him some of that pain. Suddenly, I don't care about what was said earlier. I just want to go to him. I get up and curl up next to him, putting my head on his shoulder and my arms around his neck. He wastes no time reciprocating the sentiment, and he wraps his arms around me. In this moment, we need each other. In the situation we're in, it seems petty to be arguing anyway.

After several moments of sitting, he finally has the courage to speak. "I know that you want to come. As King, I have the authority to refuse requests, but being your husband, I don't feel right forcing you to stay. And I want to be clear—I'm not asking you to stay in order to be successor to the throne. But I'm asking you as your husband—please don't come."

I talk next. "You know how you feel like you have to go? Like it would almost be physically painful for you to stay?" He nods. "Well that's how I feel too. She's my best friend. I have to go, Caspian. I'm sorry. I know that's not the answer you want. But she's like family. I need to go. And besides that, I couldn't stand to be away from you that long and not know if you're ok. Even if you get there and take care of it and come straight back that would be at least three months. Maybe longer. I couldn't do it."

"Well, I was never happy about the idea of being away from you that long. Even a day without you seems like a week sometimes. But I could get through it if I knew you were safe."

"This isn't about my safety. This is about friends that are like our family. I'm coming with you."

He lets out a sigh. "So be it. I'm not happy about it, but you've made your own decision. I spoke to the council right before I came here. I have named councilman Rashad to rule in our place in the event that neither of us returns. He is trustworthy and loyal. And Dr. Cornelius would be heavily involved in royal affairs. It's the best plan we have. And I instructed Glenstorm to have the soldiers ready by about six this evening."

I turn and look inside at the clock. It's about 4:30. We'll have to rush to get ready and leave on time. Caspian runs his hand through my hair, and I stare into his dark chocolate colored eyes. "I don't want anything to happen to you. I love you too much," he says.

"We'll get through this together," I say quietly, then press my lips up against his. I give him all of me in that kiss.

And then we have to stop because we have so little time. We quickly go down to the kitchen for food since we haven't eaten much today. We then rush back upstairs to pack what we need and to get changed into our clothes and armor. We're finally ready and I feel strange as I look at our room one last time. It's a strange feeling to even consider the possibility that we, or I, might not ever return. I want to go on the journey, but at the same time, it is so hard to leave. We have only just started our beautiful life together. It seems too soon to have it threatened. I close our door and take Caspian's hand as we walk forward, and I refuse to look back.

* * *

A/N: I hoped you like the chapter! Don't forget to fave/follow ;) The adventure begins next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I've had a few busy days, so I'm sorry for keeping you on the edge of your seats for a whole week! Thanks for reading and enjoy the new chapter :) I don't own Narnia or the characters other than the OC's. Alright….here we go…

CHAPTER 3

We go to the stables to find our horses already saddled and ready to go, so we walk them to the main courtyard. We're greeted by two hundred well-prepared soldiers. I follow Caspian as we maneuver our way through the men. I know there must be some of them that don't agree with our decision to go, but they are soldiers committed to their duty, so I can sense no resentment from them. In fact, we are greeted with optimism and encouragement. A few even make comments to me, showing their support. My spirits are slightly lifted, knowing that these soldiers will sacrifice their lives for us and for the good of Narnia. I just hope it won't come to that.

We make our way to the many horses that will carry our provisions. Dr. Cornelius is there, waiting to see if we need anything else. Caspian and I quickly review the inventory. Even on such short notice, it seems that we have everything that we need. And we will be stopping at the Telmarine castle in about five days, so we can adjust our inventory if we have too much or too little of anything. I'm about to mount my horse, Kalani, when I realize that I haven't said goodbye to the Professor. I look around to find him, and I see more than just Dr. Cornelius waiting for us. There is a whole group of the servants and guards we are closest to. I'm again overcome with emotion because even though we're not related by blood, these people are my family. It's hard to leave them, too. And I hate to admit it, but there really is no guarantee that all of us will return.

I go to Ty first and give her a tight hug. "I packed some of your favorite snacks, your majesty. Well, the ones that don't spoil. And I'll miss ya somethin crazy."

"I'll miss you too, Ty."

As I'm still hugging Ty, Caspian comes up and wraps his arms around both of us and rests his head on mine. "Don't burn down the kitchen while we're gone, ok Ty?"

"You're an ass even when you're saying goodbye," she says, which makes us all laugh.

We let go of her and go through the same process of hugs and significant last words to those that we know best. We go to Dr. Cornelius last because he is the hardest to say goodbye to. Caspian and I line up side by side in front of him. It feels like we are about to get a lecture like we are children. But what he says is just the opposite.

"My dear Caspian and Anna. We want you to rescue Molly, but please be safe, dear ones. I can't bear to lose either of you. Protect each other like you always have and trust in Aslan."

I hug him first. "We'll be careful. I love you. Thank you for everything," I say, eyes welling up with tears.

"You are like my own. I will always be here for you," he says softly in my ear. Then it's Caspian's turn to say goodbye. They hug and exchange words, and then it's time to go.

I mount Kalani and Caspian mounts Destrier. A few of the head soldiers go in front of us, and then the rest of the army follows behind us. I've never travelled like this, and with such numbers. I do feel safer in the middle of soldiers, but I can never fully relax my nerves. Even just looking down at myself, I'm covered in armor, which is a constant reminder of the possibility of danger. Danger that will only get worse when we are beyond our known territories. I realize that I'm thinking these things before we have even gotten out of Cair Paravel. It's going to be a long journey. People in the city wave and I wave back, but no amount of joy reaches my eyes.

Today we only have about an hour and a half of sun. We make our way into the forest, but not quietly. Our contingent is way too large for that. There is the relentless sound of hooves clopping against the ground, and the jingle and clatter of everyone's weapons. And the leather from Kalani's saddle squeaks with every step. I hope we never have to sneak anywhere with this group.

After dusk, a handful of soldiers on the outskirts of our group light torches. They spread out among the group and hold the flames up so we can all see. It also helps that the sky is clear and the moon is bright. We stop a little before midnight in order to get our tents set up. With so many men, it's no easy task. Caspian and I have a small tent that we will share, so we set up a torch and silently set it up. Well, Caspian does most of the work and I help hold things up or out of the way.

When it's ready, I go inside while Caspian goes to talk to the captains to confirm our plans. We will sleep a few hours and then start our journey again at daybreak. I sit on our blanket as I wait for him to return, and start to remove my armor, but I'll need his help with a lot of it. I take off my gauntlets and boots. Only a few minutes pass, and he comes in and closes the flap. He sees that I'm waiting, so he comes over to me.

"Here, let me help you," he says. I turn my back to him and he helps undo my cuirass. Then I'm free enough to take off my chain mail and greaves. Next, I help him with his armor. We lay our armor pieces off to our sides, but keep our swords where we can reach them, just in case. Although we will have guards standing watch for our whole company, and we are still in the good part of the woods, so it's unlikely anything will happen here. Caspian brushes my hair out of my face as we sit cross legged in front of each other.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"As well as I can be, I guess."

"It's been a long and stressful day. We should get some rest."

"I'll try, but I'm not sure how good I'll sleep."

"Oh my love. I know. But we should try."

I nod and we both crawl under the covers. We always touch somehow when we're sleeping, and tonight is no different. I turn to my side and he comes right behind me in a spooning position. Then he wraps a hand around my waist, holding me close.

"I love you."

"I love you too," I say. Then we close our eyes. As I predicted, it's not a restful night. It takes me a long time to fall asleep, and when I do, I drift in and out of consciousness. Then when I open my eyes at one point, I see the beginnings of light starting to creep in under the opening at the bottom of the tent. Sunrise.

We get up to find that the soldiers have begun to stir as well. We put our armor back on and eat, and by sunrise we are back on our journey. The next four days go exactly like this every time. We have long travel days, and I can barely sleep. I have to fight the heaviness of my eyes as we pass mile after mile of flat terrain. Even though we operate like clockwork, we don't completely escape harm. On the third day, a handful of soldiers eat what they think are Narnian frost berries, but they are a similar looking type of berry. Only, they are poisonous. They are dead before we even realize what happened. Although once they are ingested, there isn't anything we could have done for them anyway. Then the next day, one of the centaurs broke a leg when he took a misstep into a deep hole. It seems as though we will face tribulations even in our own lands.

It's the fifth day and we will get to the Telmarine castle by sundown tonight. The soldiers have generally been quiet on our journey so far, but they begin to talk more as we get closer to the castle. In the mid-afternoon, we are following the tree line when I see the hunting camp where Caspian and I had our bonfire. And our first kiss. I let my mind wander to that night. I can still remember the excitement I felt when his lips first touched mine. And the way he pressed my body against that tree. Knowing how we are now, now that we're married, I'm surprised we were able to stay abstinent until our wedding day. We're insatiable. There were a few close calls, though. I don't even realize that I'm smiling for the first time in days as I reminisce and think about Caspian…and his body.

"What are you thinking about?" I hear Caspian ask with a playful tone.

I'm sure he's thinking about last time we were here, too. I look over at him, "I think you know."

He laughs and looks away at the camp one more time as we pass it. "I wish we could go back for another bonfire."

"Me, too."

Around sundown that day, we are relieved to finally see the Telmarine castle in the distance. It looks valiant as always, with its stark black stone set against the greenery and the cliffs.

When we get inside, I realize that it's haunting to be in the castle under these circumstances. It was home to us for a significantly longer time than Cair, and every corridor and room is a reminder of Molly. My only comfort is knowing that we are trying to find her. At least that's what I keep telling myself. We make our way to Caspian's room, since that's where we will sleep tonight. We would sleep in the master bedroom where we spent the first night of our honeymoon, but we let the head of security for this castle take the room for his own after we moved away.

I take comfort in the familiarity of his room as soon as I step inside. Even though he has taken most of his possessions to Cair, it almost feels like we haven't even left. I open the curtains around the bed and plop down on the end. I watch as Caspian arranges our bags.

"You know, I've never slept in here before."

"What?" He's surprised, but he thinks for a moment. "You're right. We haven't come back here after our honeymoon. That's funny. I guess I've started to think of everything that is mine as yours as well. Anyway, it's a comfortable bed. I won't mind sharing," he says in attempt at cheering me up. It helps a little. He walks over and kisses my forehead. "I have to go talk to the captains. Do you want to come along?" I shake my head no. "That's fine. You don't have to. I'll only be gone for a few minutes, ok? Then we can go have dinner," he says, and then leaves.

I lie back on the fluffy comforter and stare up at the ceiling. I've been somewhat calm on the five day journey over here because there was a lot to distract me. It's easier to face each day when there is something to focus on. Every step of the horse's leg, every tree passed becomes an achievement. Every mile is an accomplishment. But here, alone in this room, there are no distractions. The room is silent and dark, and I dwell on negativity. I'm concerned. I'm broken. I'm afraid. I want to be optimistic that we will save Molly, but what if she dies. What if Harman has already killed her? She's a fighter and she's not one to be used like a puppet. And she is ruthless in her words. I've lost count the number of times that I've cried, and it's only been five days. Crying seems so cowardly. It won't help get Molly back. And besides Molly being kidnapped, we have even more to be concerned about. All my fears that I had before being crowned seem to be warranted. Just when I was feeling safe and settling in to my new life, there was a plan for an assassination. We're not sure who was the target, but we know that it definitely included Caspian.

By the time Caspian comes back, I'm still crying. I didn't mean to be, but I can't help it. I'm too upset to stop. Caspian takes one look at me, as I try to quickly wipe the tears of my face. But my red eyes, pink cheeks, and sniffling betray me. I'm an obvious wreck. He bounds over to where I'm sitting on the bed and I practically crawl into his lap. Then my tears really flow.

"Hey, it's ok to cry. Let it out." I cry until I'm exhausted in mind, body and spirit. It's rare for me to show emotions like this, but usually when I do, it's in front of him anyway. Or when we were kids, he'd be the one I was crying about. We sit in silence for a long time. He slowly strokes my hair and for a while, switches to rubbing my arm. He always knows exactly what to do to calm me down. I finally stop crying, but now have the dull pain of a headache to contend with. I sit up next to him and brush my hair away from my face. I look into the face of the person that I love most in this world and see strength when I have none. His smile is meant to lift my spirits. And it does.

"Thanks for doing that-sitting with me," I say quietly.

He looks at me as if to make a point and gently grasps my chin with one of his hands. "You're my wife and I love you. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." He pulls a little on my chin, and I move my face closer to his. We kiss out of a need instead of want. There is a slow burning desperation for each other. Two lives in unison amidst chaos. We run short on air, so he rests his forehead against mine.

"How about we go get something to eat, and then we can come back and get some rest."

"Sounds perfect."

We make our way down to the kitchens and request some food from the new servants. Well, they're new to us, anyway. Then we go to our dining hall where we have spent so many meals together. It looks the same, but feels different without our friends around. After the servant brings our food, we sit and enjoy one of the only meals in comfort that we will probably have in a long time.

"I have to tell you something," says Caspian.

I look at him curiously. "Okay."

"When I left earlier, I spoke to some of the head people here, including the head of security. He knew to be on the lookout for Harman and Molly, since I sent word ahead of our departure. Apparently they were seen by a scout not too far outside of the city about a day ahead of us. The scout saw a fire in the woods and went to investigate. They got into a brawl and Harman stabbed him in the arm, and it was a bad enough wound that he had to come back here right away. Unfortunately, Harman got away." Caspian sees the disappointment in my eyes. He knows what I'm thinking. We are so close. "I decided to send some of our fastest Telmarine soldiers from the castle to try to apprehend him. We'll still leave tomorrow if we don't hear anything from them, but it's possible they will be able to catch up and capture him. It's not a guarantee, but it's worth a try."

"The man. He saw Molly?"

"Yes. He said that she looks alright. Her hands were bound, but she appeared to be uninjured." This isn't exactly great news, but I feel better knowing that she is alive. And hopefully Harman hasn't touched her.

"That was a good idea-to send them ahead. Maybe they'll find him and this will be over soon."

We finish our dinner then go finalize our provisions for the trip. We review our inventory again and shed any extra weight of equipment that we don't need, and we have our water supply filled. We will leave again at dawn. Caspian and I go back to his room and get ready for bed. I look at his bare chest as he walks over to the bed. It's been a while since we've made love, but as much as I want him, I am overwhelmed with exhaustion. I think he's thinking the same thing, as his eyes drift over my body in my thin dress. But the comfortable bed is too inviting and my eyes close on their own resolve. I slip into unconsciousness almost immediately.

The next morning, it feels like we did when we left Cair Paravel, although there are fewer goodbyes. All the servants that we recognize are the ones we didn't get to know when we lived here. We've still received no word from the Telmarine riders, so we know we must push on. I take one last look at the castle as we pass through the gate. Deep, deep down, I hope this isn't the last time that I ever see it. I'm now more relieved than ever that I'm going on the trip with Caspian as we head into unfamiliar lands, but I have a strong feeling of uneasiness that I cannot get rid of. But we have no choice but to continue.

Our route for the first few days is to follow the main road through the mountains east of Lantern Waste, then head almost due north. It's been a hot July in Narnia, but we are a little grateful when the temperature drops as we head higher into the mountains. Even our horses seem to be more comfortable, even though they have to carry us up and down steep hills and wind down in little valleys. As is common in Narnia, I allow myself to forget about the purpose of our journey for a short while. The views from the mountains are phenomenal. Once we are out of range of seeing the castle, all we can see is nature and its greenery. There is nothing man-made to be seen, apart from our group. After two days in the mountains, we find ourselves back on flat land. The road starts to curve towards the forest of Lantern Waste, where the Pevensies first came to Narnia. But we don't follow that road. We follow a less traveled path towards the north. This is where we find our group of Telmarine Scouts. They have done their best to search, but they've seen no trace of Harman, which means he is being extra careful to be elusive. I'm devastated, but I try not to show it in front of the soldiers. I knew this wouldn't be an easy journey.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: HELLO! Sorry for the long wait! Although to be fair, I warned you way back before chapter 1 that it might take me longer to update this time ;) I've been so crazy busy! But I wrote like mad the last few days to get this together as fast as I could. I hope you like the chapter. It's one of the longest one I've written for either story so far. So it's worth the wait hehehe!

And I don't own Narnia or the characters other than the OC's. Alright….here we go…

CHAPTER 4

I'm upset for the entire rest of the day after the Telmarines reported they couldn't find Harman and Molly. Or rather, I'm angry. I even start to get angry at people that don't even deserve it, like the soldier that found him close to the castle or the soldiers that couldn't find him. No, it's not fair to be angry at them. And I dwelled on these things in my mind for hours before even realizing it. But that's how prolonged grief assaults our minds and emotions. We mull things over and focus on the irrational to make ourselves feel better, even when the thoughts aren't justified.

The lands we travel turn rather sparse compared to what we've been through. As we follow the road north, we can only see trees way far off in the distance. Only tall green grass and dirt stretch out for miles around us as we trudge forward. Then, it doesn't help that dark looming clouds begin to form ominously overhead. It gets darker by the hour, and the horses begin to get restless, whinnying and stomping their feet. Normally, I'm ok with rain and thunderstorms, but that's only when I'm comfortable inside with a good book. But here—we are completely unsheltered and at the mercy of the elements. And they don't appear to be kind. A few hours before sunset, wind whips over the plains around us and the unmistakable sound of thunder crashes too close as the sky flashes with bursts of lightning that extend their branches from the clouds. I know the downpour is coming as the air feels heavy with moisture and I see what looks like a heavy mist to our left. The rain starts with light drops. And within an hour, the sky turns into a blanket ashy gray, spilling every drop for all its worth with gigantic drops. We are instantly miserable. Our armor gets heavy, and my clothes stick to my clammy skin. The horses trot with their heads down, wishing as much as we do that we are sheltered from the rain. We finally stop for the night at sundown, defeated. Any attempt at making a fire proves to be impossible. Even with covering, the wood is just too wet, so we have to eat cold food. It's useless. Then our tents become a problem too, or rather the bed of them. The bottom of the tent is the ground which is now muddy. We have no choice but to lay our bed over the mud. As we lie in bed for the night, we have difficulty sleeping with the sound of the drops pounding into the material above our heads.

The next day does not improve. My skin looks sallow, and we all seem to have sniffles that won't go away. There is almost no conversation, at least that I can hear. All I can hear are the same dreary sounds of yesterday, and it feels oppressive.

I look at Caspian, who is to my left and a little ahead of me. His head is bent forward, as an attempt to shield his face from the relentless downpour. His hair is brushed back, but it's gathered in strings, with drops forming and constantly falling off the seemingly black tips. The men around us are somewhat spread out, so I lightly kick Kalani's side to make her speed up a little so I can ride alongside Caspian.

"Hey, soldier," I say to him, glancing sideways.

He looks over at me, smiling. "My lady," he says in return.

"Can we go inside now?" I ask.

He laughs. "I wish that were possible my love."

"Well, it's your duty as my husband to cheer me up because this weather is miserable."

"Oh really? Well then, what can I do for you?"

I think for a moment. I need a distraction. "Tell me a story. Especially if it's funny."

"That's it? You're quite easy to please. Alright. I need to think of one that you might not have heard yet."

We trot along as he thinks for a moment. "Trumpkin drunk?"

"I'm pretty sure I've heard all of those."

"Well yes, there are several," he says as we laugh. Trumpkin is hilarious and extra talkative when he drinks too much. When he's sober, he says what he's thinking, so it only gets worse when he's drunk. He offends just about everyone around him and then usually ends up passed out in an unnatural position somewhere. "Glenstorm tripping on the training field?"

"You told me that a few months ago."

"Oooooooh. Have I told you the one when there was a squirrel in the kitchen with Ty?"

"What? No!" I say excitedly. I know this will be good.

Caspian has always been a good storyteller, so I listen intently. "Okay, so I went down to the kitchen one day a few months ago. I don't remember where you were. Anyway, I said hello to Ty and we were standing there talking. She was complaining that she kept hearing scratching and chirping noises coming from the main food pantry. I, of course, was being difficult and told her she was crazy. I sat down on the counter and we kept talking, and I didn't hear anything that she described. I even brought that up to her—the fact that I didn't hear anything—but she just glared at me. After a few minutes, she went into the pantry to get the food I asked for, and I hear her scream and then she started cursing. I jumped off the counter and started to walk towards the pantry when out comes a squirrel jumping forward with Ty running after it. I went off to the side as the squirrel climbed up the wood counter. Well, then Ty grabs a small pot and ran after it. She was yelling, 'Damn you squirrel! Get outta here! Nasty creature!' She took a few swings at it, but it kept jumping from counter to counter. She swung her arm back and almost hit me with the pot, so I grabbed her arm and got rid of her weapon. She started yelling at me, but I just glared at her and went and opened all the windows. It had hidden under the one of the counters, so I started to walk towards it to scare it towards the window. Ty was hunched over and came up right behind me and had her hand on my arm. Well, I did scare the squirrel, but it didn't go out and up the wall like I wanted. Instead, it came out and jumped on her dress. She nearly deafened me with her scream. I couldn't stop laughing, but I was able to swipe my arm at it, and it climbed up the counter and I was able to guide it out the window."

It took me a minute to stop laughing. "That really happened?"

"Yes! Just like that!"

"I can't believe you forgot to tell me that! That might be the best Ty story ever!"

"I know! I still can't believe that happened. We laughed for a long time. Even some of the other servants had come over and were standing in the doorway by the end of the ordeal. Ty joked that she needed the rest of the day off."

The story is perfect and lifts my spirits, but not for long. I stare into the rain and I get restless as the rain unceasingly patters on my skin. "I miss home," I say as I look over at Caspian.

His eyes are filled with understanding. "I do, too." He pauses for a moment. "Did I cheer you up?"

"A little. That was a good story."

"I knew you'd like it."

We continue on in silence and when we get off our horses at the end of the day, the first thing Caspian does is wrap me in a tight hug.

* * *

I almost can't believe it when I again wake up to the sound of the rain. Three straight exhausting days. I start to get fidgety, wanting relief; although it's not like any movement from me will lessen the constant deluge beating on my weary skin. I try not to think about the rain, but that's an impossible task.

As the day progresses, the terrain changes from flat to hilly. And eventually, we make our way into a valley in between two hills that is covered with forest. It's not a thick forest though, as there are wide openings between the trees, and it's just our luck too. A thick forest would have shielded us from the rain, but here, we still get the brunt of it. The ground is extremely muddy and slippery because the ground must be a brown type of clay when it's dry, so we start to have trouble with the horses. The centaurs move among us and help to pull the reigns for those that are having a hard time. Some of the human men got off their horses, but they slipped too easily. We are slowed down even more when the land starts to tilt upwards in the direction we are heading, like we are going uphill a little. I look around and see how high the hill is on our left side. Rain forms deep channels that funnel water onto the ground we are on. Off to the right, that hill isn't quite as steep. The trees are tall, but some have fairly low branches. I'm observing the moss on the trunk of one of the passing trees when several things happen at once.

Men shouting.

The sound of rushing, roaring water.

Loud cracks of splintering, crashing wood.

I look around confused and in a panic when I see Glenstorm sprinting towards Caspian and I at full speed. "Your majesties! Mud slide!" He yells. I am instantly frozen in fear. We have mere seconds to react. Caspian gets down off of his horse and I know immediately what our plan must be. I dismount Kalani and grab her reigns. Glenstorm gets to us and has his hand open, and I know what he wants-the reigns. Caspian quickly grabs Kalani's from me and bunches it with Destrier's then seamlessly hands them off to Glenstorm, who then sprints with them in tow up the hill to the right to safety. Caspian then grabs my hand and we go as fast as we can to the closest tree up the hill also to our right. The ground is slippery and each step is twice as hard to make, but we help each other out. I climb the tree first. It has several branches easily within reach, all the way up the side of the tree. I'm consumed with the rush of adrenaline, but it helps me focus. As soon as I'm up on the first branch, Caspian follows right behind and we just get up on the second branch when the blast of water rushes on the ground below. We're only about six feet in the air, but it's enough. I refuse to look down, so I close my eyes and wrap my arms around the trunk of the tree. Caspian has one hand around my waist, squeezed tight and his other hand must be around the tree too. I'm trembling so I try to focus on holding the trunk even tighter. The water below is deafening, like it would be to stand right next to the bottom of a large waterfall. There is still the sound of wood cracking, and I can even feel it when trunks slam into the side of the tree we are on, which send terrible vibrations up the trunk. Some of the weaker trees must have been leveled from the pressure, and their trunks were thrown into the stream.

After a few minutes, the sounds start to fade and I finally open my eyes. The ground is completely brown and has downed tree trunks dispersed on the path. I look back towards the south where we came from, and I see the shapes of a few dead horses and men, completely covered with the brown mud. I quickly look away. I feel Caspian remove his hand from my waist, and he moves it to around my shoulder. I look over to him, and he immediately presses his lips hard against mine. I'm silently thankful that we are both still alive. He pulls away and rests his forehead against mine.

"Are you okay?" He asks quietly.

"I think so. Just shook up."

"Me too."

I look around and see some of the Centaurs coming down the hill. They must have found a place to leave the horses. Other men that climbed trees start to climb down, so we carefully make our way down too. I almost fall several times. Now that we're safe, I feel exhausted, plus the trunk is wet and slick from the rain. And when I lower myself from the bottom branch, I slip on the mud and fall. I'm not embarrassed though—most of the men do the same thing because the ground is that unsteady and slick. Caspian reaches the ground after me and he takes my hand so we can make our way up the hill. Glenstorm comes straight to us.

"Your majesties! Are you alright?"

"Yes, Glenstorm. Thank you for saving our horses," answers Caspian.

"I wish I could have helped you up the tree, but there wasn't time."

"No apologies are necessary, my friend. We made it."

"Well, there is a fairly flat plain further up the hill. We can make camp there for the evening as we recover."

"Excellent idea. Lead the way."

We slowly follow him up the hill until we reach the flat surface. It's a decent sized field with just a few trees scattered throughout. At least up here, we'll be safe from any more mudslides. We make camp, and I have to help Caspian with our tent. It's too heavy from being soaked from the rain for one person to hold it up. When we're finished, I sit down on the grass, not really caring how dirty I get. I can't get any worse anyway. From the knee down, I'm covered in brown mud. So is my butt from when I fell. I start to think how it can't get any worse, but that's not true. I think of the lives that were lost just moments ago, and it could have been us. Glenstorm told us that twenty men and many horses lost their lives. My heart breaks for them. I think of their families back home, who won't know of their passing for several more months. They're waiting, hoping, wishing, just like I would have been if I had stayed behind.

I feel Caspian's leg bump into mine as he sits down next to me. He rests his arm over my shoulder and kisses the side of my forehead. "I love you," he says.

"I love you too."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Everything," I say, giving him a crooked smile. "No, I'm really just thinking about the lives lost. And how I wish we didn't have to be on this journey. Nothing is going right."

"I know. And there are some things we cannot control. But we must trust Aslan's plan."

I nod, knowing he's right. Then I yawn. Today has been exhausting. It's not even late, but all I want to do is sleep. Apparently Caspian does too. He stands up and holds his hands out for mine. I grab his hands and he helps me up. "Come on, let's sleep." We go into our tent and remove our armor. The ground and our bedding is wet, but we're so used to it now anyway that we say nothing when we crawl under the covers. We cling to each other as we drift into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Day four pours just as much as the other days, only the temperature starts to drop. I'm cold even as I put on my armor. When we are finally packed up and ready to go, we make our way back down the hill towards the road. Only, we can't see the road. It is completely covered with the mud from the mudslide yesterday. We decide to stay up a little ways on the hill, just in case there is another mudslide, although I think it's rare for that to happen twice in a row. The ground is still soaked, but it looks pretty settled. We know from the map that the road should be pretty straight north, so we keep following that direction. The valley we were in eventually starts to lessen, as the hill we are on and the one across from it start to flatten. And we catch a break when we finally see the road poking out from under the mud. At least the rain is starting to wash it away here.

The day wears on and I start to shiver. It's hard to move my fingers because they are so cold and numb. My jaw trembles and my whole face is sore from the rain and the chill in the air. I finally get to the point where I feel defeated. Warm tears fall over my cheeks, the salty water mixes with the rain which quickly washes them off my face. The cold might have been more bearable if I was dry, but it's also disconcerting to know that there's no way to get warm. We haven't been able to get a fire started for days, and that's the only thing that would work at all right now.

My only hope comes the next day. I emerge from the tent in the morning. It's still cold, but the rain has lightened significantly, and they sky is nowhere near as dark as it has been.

Then-day six-I wake up to only the sound of Caspian sleeping soundly next to me. I go outside to find only the fog of the morning and just occasional drops draining off the trees. The clouds overhead are slightly grey, but they're moving fast, and I can see sky in-between them. I'm ecstatic. I go back into the tent and practically jump on Caspian. He wakes up surprised, but laughs at me when he realizes why I'm so excited. But he's happy too. We get our armor on and go outside. Even the rest of the men are happy too. Everyone is more talkative today, and some were even clapping and cheering. One of them is able to start a fire, and we have our first hot meal in almost a week. It's amazing what little things can affect us so greatly given certain circumstances.

By the afternoon, the wind dies down and there are only a few sparse clouds in an otherwise beautiful blue sky. I can't help but keep leaning my head back and letting the sun shine down on my face. In the early evening, we keep pressing on since we wasted sometime after the mud slide yesterday. Plus, the rain and the mud slowed us down. Suddenly, I think I hear the sound of running water, so I look at Caspian. He looks like he hears it too. I secretly hope it's nothing bad again. Within an hour, I'm relieved to look ahead and see that it's just a river. It is fairly wide, but it's also shallow enough to cross. It's actually a beautiful spot. Although I have added satisfaction in that I'm dry and warm. We are in a large open field, with mountains way off in the distance. The water is clear, and runs over large gray rocks on the bed of the river.

I look at Caspian as he gets off Destrier. We know this is the perfect place to stop for the night. I'm almost giddy as I get off Kalani. I don't even tie her up. She's too distracted anyway with eating the grass. It must be good, because I look around to see all the horses eating it. Caspian and I set up our big tent—the one we can actually stand in. We immediately undress and put on some of our dry clothes. As the sun sets, we go to the river and wash off everything—all of our clothes, armor, and even the horse's equipment. Even though everything is wet again, it's wonderful to have everything clean. By the time we're done, we sit with some of the men and have a wonderful hot dinner by the fire. I feel much more energized today, and much more relaxed. Even though I'm still burdened by thoughts of Molly, I know that we are doing what we can. So tonight is one of the best days we have had so far on our journey. After our meal and some conversation, I go back to our tent, and I'm already in my cotton sleeping dress when Caspian comes in from a quick meeting with Glenstorm. I'm lying on our makeshift bed and I watch as he removes shirt. Even from across the room, I admire the strength of his back and watch as the flicker of the firelight accentuates the ridges between the muscles.

"Hey. Come here," I tell him.

He gives me a small smile then comes and lies down on the bed too. He hovers over me then presses a few chaste kisses on my lips, then starts to get back up again. I grab his bicep and he immediately turns to look at me. I sit up and thread my fingers into his hair, then kiss him passionately. I knew I missed this, but I don't realize how much until now. This is the longest we have gone without making love. It's been weeks, because so much has happened and we've been weary from travel that we haven't done it while we've been on the road. And on an emotional level, we have been too distracted. But right now, I can't think of anything else and I need him.

I'm out of breath so I pull back slightly but keep our faces close. "Make love to me," I tell him quietly. That's all I need to say. He lays back down, half on me and half on the bed. I take the time to relish his body. My fingertips wander up his strong arms and across his chest. I feel his sides and his back, appreciating every inch that I try to memorize. My body gets excited a little faster than usual since it's been so long. Not that I ever have a problem with that anyway. The only coherent thought I have is that we should never let that much time pass before being with each other in this beautiful way. He suddenly sits up and moves in between my legs, which I part readily to give him more access. He pushes my dress up along my body and removes it completely, leaving me completely naked. He leans down by my ear, and says quietly, "We have to be quiet." He's right. There are guards not far from the entrance of the tent, and the walls are thin. He kisses me eagerly, and his tongue enters my mouth. I'm ready for him in every way. Our tongues swirl and we taste each other excitedly. Then he starts a trail of kisses down my body. I try not to make noise, but his beard tickles my skin. I take one of his hands and pull his thumb into my mouth, hoping that will help to keep me quiet. He looks up at me with pure desire, and he starts sucking on the peak of my nipple. We both swirl and suck on what is in our mouths. I suck on his thumb from its base to tip, and then pull it out of my mouth, and then I push myself up on the bed. He sits up too, so we're both on our knees in front of each other. I get closer and press my body directly against his, and wrap my arms around him and into his hair. We meet in a passionate kiss again, and he moans, which only turns me on even more. I can feel his hardness against my lower abdomen, and I take my hand and stroke him over his pants. He moves the ministrations of his mouth to my neck, and I feel his hot breath against my skin. I undo his pants and push them down, and then he lowers me down on my back. He takes his pants all the way off, and when he looks into my eyes, he enters me and pushes in all the way to my core. I almost let out a yelp of pleasure because he feels so amazing, but I remember where we are. I have to settle on biting my lower lip. His thrusts are torturously slow, but I don't care because every movement feels so good. He lowers himself even more onto me, and his flesh covers completely over mine. I grasp his hair and look down, seeing my legs open and wrapped around him as he pushes into me. It's erotic. I dig my nails into his back when he rubs against my clit with his movements. He kisses me and I love him more than I ever have before. We'll never be more connected than we are like this. He is all around me. In some ways, this is a lot like our first time. We savor every touch, look and kiss. And we're not in a hurry. He holds me tightly while I orgasm. The delicious feeling of the walls of my core as they spasm overtake me with pleasure. My orgasms always feels good for Caspian too because I get even tighter when I climax. He usually groans or sighs and picks up his pace a little. Tonight is no different, and I look into his eyes as I reach my second orgasm when he cums. He pulls out of me when both our bodies are spent, but he props himself up so he's looking down at me. I don't feel any shame as his eyes wander my body.

"I missed that. It's been way too long," I say as I thread a hand in his hair and feel his beard.

He runs his hand over my stomach, and it tickles my skin. I grab his hand and kiss the back of it then hold it to the middle of my chest. "I can never get enough of you," he replies.

"I know the feeling. I wish we could go on another honeymoon right now. Ours was perfect."

"Yes it was. I'd love to lock you away in a room again for a week," he says, winking at me.

I pull his head down for a kiss, which he willingly returns, and I savor the feeling of his soft lips against mine. He is intoxicating, and I tease him with my mouth. We get out of breath like we always do, so he pulls back. I look at this man, whom I couldn't possibly love any more than I do. He is everything to me, and every moment that we have together is precious. I think of how one of us could have lost the other during the mud slide.

"I can't lose you. I love you too much."

"Don't say goodbyes. We'll make it. I have faith that we will. And we'll get Molly back."

"You're such a strong person."

"You are too," he says. Then for a few moments, we stare into each other's eyes.

"So what would you do if you had me locked in a room for a week?" I ask.

For the rest of the evening, he eagerly shows me.

* * *

A/N: Alright! Hope you liked it! As always, I love to see comments/faves/follows if you are so inclined :) It might be a little while for me to update again. I've got a work trip coming up that's several days long, but hopefully I'll be able to work on the next chapter some. I'm really excited about the next chapter! Anyway, thanks for reading!


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